Bella Vista

Pretty nice, but needs some work.

Unfortunate that we have to give even one star to this business. Let's start out by saying 'all that glitters is not gold.' Upon initial appearance this organization appears to be very friendly and competent. When you are working to move one of your parents into a senior facility it can be difficult and the staff here was very personable in their attempt to get my mother to move there: at the first meeting to tour the facility they even gave her a gift. After much deliberation, my family thought this may be a solution for my mother and gave them a deposit of $1,000 to lease an apartment. My mother was more perceptive than I, and determined that she did not want to live there. Wisconsin law requires the return of a deposit within 21 days. It took over 84 days to get the $1,000 returned, belligerent sarcastic communications with the property manager, and a time and energy on my part that should have never been necessary for the return of my mother's money. One wonders if they were hoping that my 80-year-old-plus mother or myself would forget that they owed her money. Or were they hoping she'd die and then they wouldn't have to return the money to her. Perhaps they are just greedy and feel that they can push people around and ignore them. Who knows? we do know that their contempt for the elderly, the population they claim to want to serve, is evident. If you do decide to move a family member here watch out for their lease. It gives them all the power. Essentially you can pay the $3,000 non-returnable community fee and the $1,000 non-returnable pet fee and with a 30 day notice they can boot you out. If you are too vocal about the treatment of your family member, not happy with their facility, and Bella Vista thinks that you are a pain you can be given notice to leave. Oh, BTW you have negotiating power. Once we determined we did not want to move there they offered a 'special' and were going to discount the community fee to $1,500. Plus, during a conversation I had with the property manager when she was still being charming, they said the pet fee could be a 'deposit' and then she later said it could be waived. Yikes. Just remember if you do go with them to change the lease to what ever you negotiate because they can not be trusted and the legal document will be binding. My mother was very relieved not to move to Bella Vista and so am I because after this experience they are not a place that I would feel comfortable leaving my mother. My advice? Run fast and far from this place.